Watanabe Risa's blog post on being named to the front line

On Sunday, the senbatsu selection for Keyakizaka46's second single was shown on their TV show, Keyakitte Kakenai? (Of course, the show was recorded a while ago and just broadcast Sunday night.)

Two excellent performers were dropped from the front line -- Suzumoto Miyu and Kobayashi Yui -- and two other members were raised: Shida Manaka and Watanabe Risa.

Manaka has previously said she did not want to be up front until she was ready for it. And in her blog post Monday evening, which I translate as well as I can here, Risa says she is full of self-doubt. The great pearls of tears that rolled down her face at the announcement were, it appears to me, as much from fear as from joy.
_____________________________________________

Our second

Hello.

Yesterday on Keyakitte Kakenai, the senbatsu for the second single was announced.

First, I am truly happy that we have everyone in the senbatsu, and that I’ll be able to take part in activities with Neru.

Neru is an extremely hard worker. At the time of our first single, when we were in the midst of lessons, she came with us to the lessons.

When we were checking the choreography, Neru went ahead and took videos and collected together all the bits we needed to improve.

Just to think that I’ll be able to take part in activities with such a nice person as Neru makes me happy.

Congratulations!

And now I have to talk about myself: I’ve been chosen for the front line.

I think there must be plenty of people wondering what I’m doing in the front line.

Even though it's me, I would probably disagree with anyone who didn't wonder.
I know myself it's something that could easily be misunderstood.

If that were to cause people to become disgusted with me, I couldn’t stand it.

I don’t have confidence that someone like me is okay in the front line. I’m quite uneasy.

For the first single, everybody taught me the many things I didn’t know. And I may end up depending on everyone again this time. When that happens, please tell me everything.

I may be being soft-headed, but if there were even one person who supported me, I would want to work hard for that person’s sake.

In this position, I will be myself and work as hard as I possibly can.

Thank you for choosing me to be in the front line.
And thank you everyone for your support.

Please forgive me for writing such a scattered essay.

I’ll write about the handshake event next time!^ ^

See ya \( ¨̮ )/

-- Risa 

______________
2016/06/28 00:00 
____________________________________

Here's a cropped screencap of the impressively huge tears that coursed down Risa's face as she took in what was happening to her at the selection: